Podcast Episode 217: Brought to Light Series - LEE BLAKE
Release Date: 09/15/2025
Podcast Episode 217: Brought to Light Series - LEE BLAKE
Southcoast Artists Index
Welcome to 's new series, Brought to the Light. Scott's guest on this first of ten podcasts is Lee Blake. She has over 30 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in urban education and historic preservation. Lee has taught African American and Women’s Studies at the high school and university level in New Bedford and in New York City. She served as the director of Education for the City of New York for 8 years. Lee Blake has been awarded five awards to provide professional development to teachers across the country on African American history. Her program, , is breaking new...
info_outline
Podcast Episode 216: TONI DELGADO-GREEN
Southcoast Artists Index
Welcome, Toni Delgado-Green, the Arts & Culture Editor for , one of our community partners. Toni has loved to sketch since a very young age. She especially liked pencils or charcoal. As she says, "Whether through visual art, music, writing, spoken word, or modeling, creative expression is my thing." Toni Delgado-Green started as an art student. Writing, however, eventually felt like the more practical path for her. She says she's been lucky to channel that passion as the Arts & Culture Editor for since its inception. Toni is proud of the work The Light does and the way it...
info_outline
Podcast Episode 215: Manuela Da Costa
Southcoast Artists Index
Welcome, Manuela Laurenco Da Costa! Manuela DaCosta is a fiction writer and the author of the series. Acores is the Portuguese word for hawk. It is spelled Azores in English. The series, according to , "...stands in the middle of the Atlantic, small and defiant, like its people. Two Brooks is the most isolated village in Hawk Island, surrounded by high cliffs and flanked at each end by a brook. It is a village of tenacious people, hardened by isolation and punished by nature with crude winters and burning droughts. It is also a place forsaken by God and men that boasts a long history of civil...
info_outline
Live From AHA! - AUGUST 2025
Southcoast Artists Index
This is the August episode of our continuing series of podcasts from , co-hosted by our podcast partner and friend, Our guests included , The Artists Index's new volunteer development director, and Kat Knutsen (, , and ), as well as painter . The topic was about connections and networks, and community. Our guests joined podcast host to relate and swap stories about our wonderful South Coast creative Community and , the world-famous, historic New England seaport. The Living Room at is "an old-school 80’s style arcade offering a full-service bar, craft-made drinks, and food..." and over 40...
info_outline
Podcast Episode 214: ADRIAN TIO
Southcoast Artists Index
Welcome, Adrian R. Tió, a former Professor of Fine Arts in the at the . He was also a former dean at the College. Tió received his fine arts training from (BA ‘74), the (MFA ‘79), and his post-baccalaureate study at the in Rome, Italy (‘75-76). He resides in . Adrian Tió has exhibited nationally and regionally, in drawing, painting, and printmaking for over 40 years. Tió maintains the in , at the north end . Adrian spoke with The Artists Index co-founder, documentarian, and podcast host, . They discussed his art, heritage, life, and his time and experiences at the . This...
info_outline
Podcast Episode 213: ZARLA LUDIN
Southcoast Artists Index
Welcome, Zarla Ludin, a design strategist, product enthusiast, and sometime artist. Her career has focused on helping businesses—such as , , and —connect their creative teams with clear narratives and organizational goals. Zarla has also partnered with municipalities, including the , to shape service innovations and reflect on design practice. She is now channeling her love for storytelling and product development into her artistic side. After she began prioritizing her art practice, she was surprised by how few art supply stores exist in Massachusetts—outside of big-box chains, options...
info_outline
Jazz Series Episode 7: Chris Poudrier, Sr.
Southcoast Artists Index
In Episode Seven, Jazz Podcast Host, Dave Reis speaks with drummer Chris Poudrier, Sr., about his talent, passion, and dedication. Chris's career has not been limited to a specific genre. He graduated from the with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, Cum Laude. He is a drum set professor at the , where he is the musical director for the Chris has also been on the guest faculty for . His work has been documented on many recordings. He performs with Chris Poudrier, Sr., is also a composer, an player, and an piper. The Artist Index's jazz documentarian and ...
info_outline
Podcast Episode 212: LARA HARRINGTON
Southcoast Artists Index
Welcome, Lara Lourenco Harrington, AKA Lara Harrington, a re-emerging artist and supporter of the arts in the South Coast. She is the daughter of immigrants from and , "two of the most beautiful islands in the ." Her journey to connect more deeply with her heritage took a significant turn in 2011 when she became involved with the in Lara's involvement opened doors that allowed her to immerse herself deeply in the culture, "particularly through participating in international regattas with and ." Through these experiences, she has built amazing friendships and discovered incredible...
info_outline
LIVE FROM AHA! - JULY 2025
Southcoast Artists Index
This is the July episode - our eleventh - in our continuing series of livestream podcasts from co-hosted by our podcast partner and friend We invited The Artists Index's new volunteer development director, and Kat Knutsen (, , and ). joined us later. The topics ranged as they usually do. Our guests joined podcast host to relate and swap stories about our wonderful South Coast creative Community and , the world-famous, historic New England seaport. The Living Room at is "an old-school 80’s style arcade offering a full-service bar, craft-made drinks, and food..." and over 40...
info_outline
Podcast Episode 211: Jimi Blacksheep
Southcoast Artists Index
Welcome, Jimi Blacksheep, AKA James A. Bourne, musical artist. His mantra: sounding good and looking good. His alter ego, his stage persona, is Jimi Blacksheep, and his life has been a musical journey. Now in his 60s, this transplanted , resident is most at home busking on the streets, entertaining pedestrians with his vast catalog of covers and original songs. Jimi Blacksheep has been taking his dream to the streets for quite some time, and he continues to do it with style. He regularly commutes to Boston to entertain pedestrians with his catalog of covers and original songs on the city’s...
info_outlineWelcome to Scott Bishop's new series, Brought to the Light. Scott's guest on this first of ten podcasts is Lee Blake. She has over 30 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in urban education and historic preservation. Lee has taught African American and Women’s Studies at the high school and university level in New Bedford and in New York City.
She served as the director of Education for the City of New York for 8 years. Lee Blake has been awarded five National Endowment for the Humanities awards to provide professional development to teachers across the country on African American history. Her program, Sailing to Freedom: New Bedford and the Underground Railroad, is breaking new ground as it highlights the sea and whaling as an escape route for African American freedom seekers.
Currently, Lee serves as president and chief development officer for the New Bedford Historical Society. During her 15 years as a volunteer at the Society, Lee has successfully raised funds for after-school programming, building preservation and restoration projects, as well as funds for art
Although Lee Blake says, "I am not an artist, but I work with artists to fund public art pieces and spaces that have changed the narrative of the City of New Bedford." New Bedford Historical Society has been responsible for the vast majority of public art in New Bedford that focuses on Black history and the Black experience.
"The Society has been responsible for illustrating the history of our people through several projects: Lewis Temple Monument, Abolition Row Park, the Frederick Douglass statue, 54th Massachusetts Mural and 54th Massachusetts Regiment Park, the Jazz Mural, and other projects.
Lee spoke with The Artists Index Scott Bishop on his new series, Brought to the Light. They discussed her love of history, African American culture, New Bedford, and more.
Lee Blake
New Bedford Historical Society
21 Seventh Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-979-8828
Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Linktree | Other
ALSO AVAILABLE ON: YouTube
Please consider donating whatever you can to ensure that our mission continues as we document the legacies of South Coast Artists.
If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!
This podcast is funded in part with a grant from the New Bedford Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency